Display device



Jan. 6,1942. 3 HQLLANDER I 2,269,310

DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Aug. 30, 194p Patented Jan. 6, 1942 iat-:2

a e mw l' DISPLAY DEVICE Bartley G. HollandenrMinneapolis, -Minn., as

Christophcr, Minneapolis,

signor to Clinton J. Minn.

Application August so, 1940, Serial No. 354,837

4. Claims. 4.01. 211-44) This invention relates to a device for supporting and displaying axe and shovel handles and other tool handles.

Articles of this kind by their very elongated us.-

very difli-cult to arrange and display in the stores. Ordinarily they are simply disposed on end or laid on their sides and they then are likely to become disarranged, are very poorly "displayed to prospective purchasers, are likely to become warped, and take up an undue amount-of floor, shelf, or counter space.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a device by means of which tool handles of all kind may be supported and displayed in orderly array fnom an overhead pointand in such entangled and disarranged, they can readily -'-be examined and removed as may be desired by the clerk or purchaser.

Another object is to provide a device of this nature in a simple, neat and conveniently usable form and with means for supporting price markers in juxtaposition to the different kinds of handles carried by the device.

These'and other more detailed and specific objects will be disclosed in the course of the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the display device. I Fig. 2 is a frontal elevation showing one tool handle arranged for display.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross section along the line 33 in Fig. 2 showing the device as mounted on the wall or show case and with several tool handle fragmentally shown.

Fig. 4 is a plan View of an end portion of the blank from which the device is formed.

Fig.5 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary cross section along the line 5-5 in Fig. 1.

The device of my invention is formed from a sheet metal blank A of (preferably) rectangular shape and of any length as may be selected according to the size and capacity required in the completed display. The blank is bent along a manner that, while the handles cannot become line B in an upward direction and then outwardly along a parallel line C, while at the opposite edge the blank is bent downwardly along a line D. The resulting structure thus includes a fiat rack plate or member 6, an upright forward wall or hanger web 1, an upper and forward mounting flange or lip 8 and a lower, rear mounting flange or lip 9.

The included angle between the rack plate 6 and forward wall I is greater than a right angle,

ture and variation in shape have heretofore been 6 whereas the angle between the flange 8 and wall l is substantially a right angle. 'As a result, when ,the flange 8 is mounted upwardly and flatly against the underside of an overhead horizontal support such as a ceiling or head of a display case, designated atE in Fig. 3, the wall 1 will stand substantially upright while the rack plate will incline from one longer edge toward the other and will slope downwardly and rearwardly as clearly shown. The bend along the line D" is of course so made then that the rear mounting flange 9 will stand in upright position to properly face the wall or rear of the display case as designated at-F in Fig. 3. I

' "The flanges Band 9 are perforated as shown at H) to pass nails or screws II by which the device is mounted upwardly and rearwardly against the supports E and F at the'co-rner or junction thereof.

Prior to the bending and forming operation the blank A'is punched to provide a series of spaced parallel slots l2 which extend crosswise in the rack plate portion of the blank. "Openings [3 of greater diameter than the widthof the slots are punched atthe forward ends ofsaid slots to merge therewith. The rear ends of the slots terminate short of the rear edge of the rack plate '6 some distance as will be noted.

The openings I3 occur along the bend line B and this line substantially bisects said openings. Therefore when the bend is made to turn up the forward wall 1 the enlarged forward ends of the slots open both forwardly through the wall and downwardly through the forward edge of the rack plate.

The tool handles, represented generallyat G, are then each provided at one end with a small nail H whichis driven a short distance into the handle. The nails are selected so that they will nicely slide into the slots l2 while their heads will not pass through said slots.

With the device mounted as described, it now becomes an easy matter to slip the nails H of the handles into the forward ends of the slots and downwardly and rearwardly therein toward the closed rear ends so that the handles will be supported in orderly rows along the length of the slots andwill hang freely therefrom. The openings l3 occurring at the junction or corner of the wall I and rack plate 6 permit the nail heads to I easily pass and they will then overlie the upper margins of the slots to support the handles as 'desired. The rearward sloping position of the rack plate causes the handles of their own weight to slide rearwardly and of course absolutely prevents the handles from accidentally sliding clear through forward ends of the slots.

When thus displayed the tool handles hang in orderly array and are prevented from becoming entangled and from warping. At the same time they may be readily handled in making a selection and removed when such selection has been made.

The slots I 2 are spaced apart a greater distance at one end of the device than at the other to thus provide greater space for hanging the larger or odd shaped handles, and less space where straight small handles are to be supported.-

The rack plate 6 has a plurality of reinforcing ribs or valleys [4 which are pressed out parallel with the slots l2 in order to reinforce the material against bending stresses along the length of the slots which might be caused by the weight of the supported handles.

An elongated price marker holder I5 is mounted along the length of the forward wall 1 on the outer surface thereof and has marginal inwardly turned upper and lower lips 5 which define slideways for the reception of small cards or tickets I! inserted endwise within said lips. cards may bear indicia indicating the prices and other data on the handles supported in each of the slots I2. The marker holder'is in the form of a strip of metal which is spot welded or otherwise suitably secured to the wall I.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully illustrated and described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A display device, comprising a rack plate, means for supporting the plate in an inclined position and including an upwardly turned forward member along the uppermost edge of the plate, the said plate having slots extending substantially in the direction of inclination of the plate and having enlarged portions at their forward ends, and the said enlarged portions of the slots being formed at the junction of the plate These and forward member to open through both the plate and said member.

2. A display device comprising a plate and a wall member bent upwardly from one margin thereof, the said plate having a series of slots extending in a direction away from the wall member and having openings wider than the slots and merging with one end thereof, and the said openings being disposed at the junction of the plate and wall member and being substantially bisected by the line along which the wall member is bent upwardly from the plate to thereby open both forwardly through said wall member and downwardly through said plate.

3. A display device for mounting between an overhead support and an upright support, comprising a rack plate having an upright flange along one edge for mounting against the upright support, a wall member turned upwardly from the opposite edge of the plate, a flange turned over from the upper edge of thewall member for mounting against the overhead support, the included angle between the plate and wall member being greater than a right angle to thereby dispose the plate at an inclination sloping downwardly toward said upright mounting flange, and the said plate having a series of slots extending substantially in the direction of inclination of the plate and having widened ends opening adjacent the junction of the wall member and plate.

4. A display device for mounting between an overhead support and anupright support, comprising a rack plate having an upright flange along one edge for mounting against the upright support, a wall member turned upwardly from the opposite edge of the plate, a flange turned over from the upper edge of the wall member for mounting against the overhead support, the included angle between the plate and wall member being greater than a right angle to thereby dispose the plate at an inclination sloping downwardly toward said upright mounting flange, and the said plate having a series of slots extending substantially in the direction of inclination of the plate.

BARTLEY G. HOLLANDER. 

